Tales of Suwa
by Lithium Amaranth
Summary: Kurogane is the Young Lord of Suwa. Fai is a wizard who is just learning the techniques of dimension traveling. When a slip up on Fai's part lands him in Kurogane's presence, there comes the beginning of a strange pseudo-friendship.
1. First Meeting

***Sigh* I had hoped to complete most of my unfinshed works before college started. Sadly since that did not happen and I fear I will be strapped for time soon, I won't rush it. For those of you waiting for particular stories I promised, I apologize but it will be a bit longer.**

**This story is one of the first multi-chapter fics that I started a while back. It has the most potential for me to continue it so I shall post the first chapter! This is basically my way of letting you all know I'm not dead if I've been away from FF for a while ^^**

**As usual, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing but the Plot ^^ All characters belong to CLAMP**

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><p>The countryside of Nihon was vastly green this time of year. The breezes were soft and the grass, cool. Spring was always Kurogane's favorite time of year. He'd gather branches of Cherry Blossoms for his mother and swim in the nearby stream with the children of Suwa. He'd practice his sword with his father in the bamboo fields and think of way to get his Father's aid in trouble.<p>

He always loved the liveliness of Spring, however, laying calmly in the grass beside a clear blue pond outside the city limits…was a little less than exciting.

Young Kurogane sighed, staring lazily into the sky. His mother was busy keeping the wards up while his father went to hunt demons. The kids nearby were busy helping their parents with the typical menial chores. A burden he had the luxury of not having, considering he lived in a home with servants to take care of that. Though he'd hoped on skipping out on his home schooling with the prospect of being able to do something fun once he'd made it out of the courtyard. So far…no such luck.

"So boring." he sighed.

He gazed intensely at the sky, as if something interesting would happen just by looking at it. He frowned and began crossing his eyes in and out of focus. Doing that seemed to be of some merit. With the constant change of focus, it seemed as if the sky itself was bulging out toward him. The bulge came closer every time he did it.

He stopped.

Bulging out of the sky? He kept his eyes focused this time and saw that the sky was in fact…slowly dripping down towards him like a drop of goo. His eyes widened.

"W-what the-" he stuttered. He sat up. The aforementioned blob burst open to reveal a human body dropping down on him.

"Waaah!" someone screamed. Kurogane had no time to react before some stranger with yellow wispy hair fell on him.

He rubbed his head as the stranger lifted himself off him and sat somewhere in front of him. He could hear a nervous chuckle.

"Did I…get it right? Ashura-ou?" he asked. Kurogane opened one eye. The idiot stranger had his eyes closed!

"A-shura?" the tan boy questioned. The person in front of him opened his eyes for what seemed like the first time. The look of utter horror on his face made his complexion look even more pale than it was. He forced his lips up in a nervous chuckle.

"Eh…guess not…I suppose." he mumbled, answering his own question. This irritated Kurogane.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'You Suppose!' IT'S OBVIOUS YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG PERSON! Just who are you anyway!" Kurogane shouted. The smaller boy chuckled.

Kurogane observed the foreigner suspiciously. He appeared to be the same age as him, but he wore a strange brand of uncomfortable looking clothing. It was white and skin tight with a high collar and strange intricate designs on the shoulders whereas the typical clothing of Nihon was a lose kimono.

What Kurogane found the most strange was his hair. First of all, it was yellow! There wasn't anyone he knew that had yellow hair. As far as he was concerned, everyone either had black or brown hair. The boys piercing blue eyes were a much more vibrant color than he'd ever seen anyone have around here. Nothing like his mother's soft, sky blue eyes.

"Who knows." he replied. Kurogane frowned.

"You're lying." he said. The other boy smiled.

"I am not. I didn't say I _didn't_ know who I am." he retorted.

"Well you can't answer a question with a question stupid! Now answer plainly! Who are you?" Kurogane demanded. The stranger sighed.

"I guess there's no helping it. Right?" he smiled. "My name is Fai, Fai D. Flourite." he replied "Nice to meet you!"

Kurogane eyed him up and down before he bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Sure." he replied. Fai pouted.

"That's not fair! Now you need to tell me your name." he whined. Kurogane bit back a retort.

"N-not until you tell me where you came from!" he said. Fai pointed up.

"The sky." he said in a simplistically obvious tone. Kurogane narrowed his eyes.

"Are you mocking me?" he glared. Fai shook his head.

"Nope. You saw it yourself right? I came from the sky!" he replied. Kurogane frowned.

"If you stop lying to me then I'll tell you my name." he said. Fai just stared at him, then at the ground.

"I can't." he replied. Kurogane quirked his eyebrow.

"Why not? Are you going to get in trouble or something?" he asked. Fai half smiled.

"Something like that." he replied keeping his gaze away. Kurogane looked at the boy carefully, judging whether he was telling the truth or not. He then nodded.

"My name's Yo-Kurogane." he caught. This person was still a stranger after all. Better not to say his _real_ name. Then again, it wasn't as if he wasn't accustomed to being called Kurogane either. He rather liked it actually. Fai wrinkled his nose.

"Kurogane? That's weird! Can I call you Kuro-chi?" he asked. Kurogane's eyes widened and he blushed at being addressed so casually by some foreigner.

"N-No are you crazy! My name's Kurogane!" he shouted. Fai laughed.

"But Kuro-chi's so much cuter! Then what about Kuro-tan? Kuro-mii? Kuro-puu? Or Kuro-chan!" he exclaimed.

"No! STOP THAT! My name is Kurogane!" he shouted, his face flushed in irritation. Fai found his expression extremely amusing.

"You're so funny Kuro-kun." Fai smiled. Kurogane grumbled. He could live with Kuro-kun. It was better than the others at least. He was slightly miffed though that he had said his name was weird. Who's he to talk? He's got THREE names! Fai D. Flourite? Those didn't sound like names native to any countries around here.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" Fai suddenly asked. Kurogane snapped out of his thoughts and followed Fai's finger to his own clothing.

"Isn't that?" he retorted, gesturing to Fai's tight fitting clothes.

"Nope!" was all he said. Kurogane didn't like the simplicity of that answer.

"Where are you from?" he asked again. Fai's smile faltered.

"I already told you. I'll get in trouble." he replied. Kurogane shook his head.

"I won't tell." he promised. Fai eyed him a minute then smiled.

"I'll tell you where I'm from if you tell me where this place is." he bargained. Kurogane quirked his eyebrow and sat silently for a moment.

"You seriously don't know where you are? This is the province of Suwa in Nihon." he explained. Fai nodded.

"A new world then huh?" he mumbled. Kurogane didn't catch what he said.

"Huh?"

"Is your world always like this?" Fai said suddenly. All Kurogane could do was tilt his head…still bewildered.

"Huh?" he said again. Fai chuckled.

"Your world. This Nihon place. Is it always this green?" he clarified. Kurogane crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back to look at the sky.

"No. Nihon has four seasons. Winter, Summer, Autumn, and this is Spring." he said.

"Hmm…I see." The blond replied. Kurogane growled impatiently.

"How do you not know that? And what do you mean by 'world' anyway?" he questioned.

Fai froze for a moment, silently cursing himself for slipping up there. He sighed and lay down in the grass, thinking about how to answer that question. He couldn't very well tell this stranger that he'd come from an entirely different dimension. He thought about the question again.

"Where I come from it's really cold most of the time. I live in the north." he said. Kurogane grumbled.

"That's not what I asked stupid." he protested. After not hearing a retort he sighed and lay down on the grass too.

"So if you're not from around here and you don't know where you are then why are you here?" he inquired. Fai smiled, thankful for the boy to ask something answerable.

"I'm supposed to be traveling countries with my teacher." he explained.

"But you're here by yourself." Kurogane pointed out obviously.

"I'm waiting for him. Cause you know Kuro-chi. I messed up…now I'm lost." Fai laughed.

"It's Kurogane moron! And if you're lost then why not go looking for him?" he reasoned.

"Because, Kuro-kun, if I stay in one place he can find me better." he replied. Kurogane frowned.

"That makes no sense." Fai turned his head and smiled at him.

"That's because Kuro-kun's simple minded!

"AM NOT!" Kurogane protested, sitting up. He clenched his teeth. "And it's Kurogane, idiot." Fai pouted.

"Kuro-tan! You're so mean!" he complained.

"Then knock it off with the stupid nicknames! We just met!" he said. Fai tilted his head.

"What does that have to do with it? I think Kuro-tan's a cute name so I like calling you that." Fai said. Kurogane paused. He thought that maybe nicknames were a common thing in this kids home country. He didn't know calling others by a nickname when you hardly know them is embarrassing.

"Well I don't know what things are like where you live, but here nicknames are embarrassing! You only call people so friendlily if you're close to them." he explained, hoping that this might get the blonde moron to call him properly. Fai's eyes widened.

"So, you're saying…we're friends?" he asked. Kurogane coughed, startled by the rebuff.

"N-No! Definitely not! I'm saying you shouldn't call me those names BECAUSE we only just met!" he stuttered. Fai laughed, amused by his embarrassed reaction.

"Then let's become friends!" Fai reasoned. "You can call me Fai and I'll call you Kuro-chi!" he said.

"That's not my name you idiot!" Kurogane shouted. Fai laughed.

Suddenly the blonde felt a sharp pain. Fai made a face and held his head. Kurogane watched as Fai gritted his teeth and endured whatever pain he was in.

"H-hey, are you alright? Hey!" Kurogane asked. Fai smiled weakly.

"I-I'm alright Kuro-run. It doesn't hurt too bad. It's just…ah….m-my teacher. H-he's found me." he explained. He gritted his teeth once more. "A-and he's scolding me." he chuckled. Kurogane frowned.

"What kind of teacher hurts his student just for being lost?" he demanded. Fai shook his head.

"He's not mad that I got lost. He's mad that I talked to you Kuro-tan." he said. Kurogane furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why?" he asked. Fai sighed.

"B-because, the one rule he gave me to follow when we were traveling…was not to speak to anyone while he's not there." the blonde boy explained. Kurogane clenched his teeth, irritated that he couldn't do anything.

"Where is he? How can he be hurting you when he's not even here? Is that one of the things that'll get you in trouble if you tell me?" he asked. Fai nodded. Slowly he began to stand up, his head was still throbbing but it wasn't too painful, just enough to be a scolding for disobedience.

"H-hey! Wait! Where are you going?" Kurogane shouted. Fai smiled.

"I need to go meet up with my teacher. Y-you need to stay here Kuro-chan. I d-don't want him to do anything to you because you talked to me. I don't want anyone to be hurt because they were involved with me." he said weakly. Kurogane frowned.

"You won't be coming back anymore?" he asked.

"N-no promises." he chuckled. Suddenly the pain disappeared. Fai's face paled, if the pain was gone then that only meant one thing…

He was close.

"F-Fai?" Kurogane said. Fai's eyes widened at the mention of that name as he turned to him. He smiled softly at the tan boy.

"D-does that mean we're friends?" he asked. Kurogane hesitated but finally nodded. Without warning, a tall figure clad in strange white clothing appeared behind Fai. It was a man with long black hair and what seemed like crystals protruding from his forehead. Closer inspection proved it to be some sort of crown, though Kurogane had little time to recognize that as the man's hand covered his face entirely.

The last thing he saw was the man's harsh gaze as he held Fai protectively in his other arm.

"A-Ashura-ou?" he heard Fai stutter. Kurogane wanted to reach out and tell this man to stop. That he was no threat. That he was his friend.

Darkness enveloped him as his lids drifted closed and his mind went blank.

When he woke up he was in his bedroom, sleeping. It was night. The placement of the moon proved it to be around midnight. He sat up and tried to think back to what he'd done today.

He couldn't remember.

All he managed was the face of a smiling yellow haired boy in his dreams.

Who was he?

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><p>"A-Ashura-ou?" Fai stuttered as the older wizard wiped the memory of the boy before him.<p>

"Ashura-ou! He's my friend! You don't need to erase his memory!" Fai shouted. Ashura sighed as he removed his hand from the boy's face. He was already asleep. Fai's eyes widened.

"no." he whispered. Ashura held Fai closer and wrapped his other arm around him.

"I'm sorry Fai. But I can't take that chance. I can't take the chance that he might hurt you." He said calmly. He pulled away to see tears beginning to form at the edge of his eyes. He smiled painfully.

"Forgive me Fai." he said as he wiped away the tears, "And just when you'd been able to smile so beautifully too. Forgive me." he said as he hugged Fai close to him again. He cast the spell that would take them back to Celes.

"Let's take a break from Dimension traveling lessons for a while." he said as the sky seemingly absorbed them both into the atmosphere.

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><p><strong>So there it is! Chapter 1! This will be updated soon I can guarntee AT LEAST that much ^^ So far the rating is K+ it may change with later chapters. Just so you're all aware ^^<strong>

**R&R please!**


	2. Regained Memory

**Second chapter's up ^^ Hope I don't disappoint.**

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><p>"Fai? Are you coming to eat?" Ashura called through the door. Fai quickly opened it and bowed to his king.<p>

"Yes Ashura-ou. I'll be there shortly." he replied stiffly. The king smiled sadly and kneeled down to his height. He placed his hand over the young boy's head.

"Fai, you don't have to be so formal with me. I'm not just your King. I'm your guardian as well. I hope you'll be able to smile again soon. Your smile can always heal whatever pain I feel in my heart." he said as he ruffled Fai's golden locks. The boy attempted a small half smile.

"Y-yes." he replied. Ashura nodded and strode away back down the hall to await for Fai.

It had been 3 weeks. 3 weeks since Fai had made his first friend outside of his brother and Chii. He couldn't seem to stop thinking about the boy. He'd had so much fun being with him…he never knew he could be so blissfully happy. He never knew such a relaxed emotion existed. For the first time…he was able to truly smile.

His reasoning originally for giving vague answers was his poor attempt to disinterest the boy and drive him away. He never expected him to be so amusing. He could almost smile just thinking about it.

But…he could never go back.

Or more like there'd be no point in going back. He could if he really wanted to. He might mess up like he did the last time. Last time he'd accidentally sent Ashura to another part of the country, which was how he'd gotten lost in the first place and involved with Kurogane. If he went alone though, he may be able to go back…but again…there was no point.

Ashura made it a habit that anyone who caught them switching dimensions or casting an unfriendly glance at Fai had their memory erased. Anyone whom Fai talked to without his permission also had their memories of them erased. There was no point in going because…Kurogane wouldn't remember him anyway.

There was no point.

Fai shut the door. He looked through the room to find his staff and the right spell book. Once he found both, he paged through the book to find the dimension crossing spell he'd used 3 weeks ago. It was a slim chance but…he just wanted to see him. Whether Kurogane remembered him or not. Call it curiosity, call it desperation for a new friend, call it whatever you want.

He was going.

And he did.

He used his staff to draw the incantation in a circle around him and began to think of Nihon, where he'd been the last time…where he'd hoped to find Kurogane. He closed his eyes as he pictured the place and a violet smoke emanated from the letters and enveloped him into the ceiling.

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><p>3 weeks had passed.<p>

3 weeks.

And he still had that damn dream every night!

He'd always see his face, nothing more, nothing less. Just a face of a blonde haired, blue eyed boy about his age. It was a face he knew he'd never seen before…yet…was so familiar to him. It annoyed him to no end.

Kurogane fumed as he climbed up one of the Cherry Blossom trees outside the village. From his current height he could see the grassy field by the pond where he'd fallen asleep in a while back out of boredom. Come to think of it…he didn't remember getting up to leave. All he knew was that when he woke up he was in his bedroom, with the image of that annoying looking smiling boy.

He pounded his fist to his forehead in an effort to make himself remember. There had to be something significant with this kid otherwise it wouldn't be happening every night. He told his mother about it and he did not like the insinuations he got from his retelling.

"Perhaps it's a vision of your future love." she'd chuckled. Kurogane stuck his tongue out at the memory. Sure his mother was joking, but a boy loving another boy? That was just gross. Still, he couldn't understand why he'd have this dream constantly. Maybe she was right about something. Maybe it was a vision of someone he'd meet in the future. His mother was a Dreamseer after all. It was possible he was too. Though he'd much rather take up his father's swordsmanship than his mothers Priestly duties.

Kicking his legs back and forth on the edge of the branch he sat, he sighed. Skipping out on lessons was only fun for a short period of time. The only exciting part was the escaping…after that. There wasn't many places he could go. He sighed.

"So bored." he said.

Suddenly he felt a draft, and then a rush of wind in his face. Cherry Blossom petals blew into his face, obscuring his vision. He tried to see through the wind and towards the pond. He saw a shape form in the sky, then drop down like a blob of goo. His eyes widened. He had the faintest feeling of Déjà vu.

The blob burst and inside was the form of a thick coat clad child, a little shorter than him if he could guess. The wind stopped and he was able to open his eyes fully. The kid had his back to him so he couldn't see his face, but Kurogane couldn't help this feeling of faint familiarity.

The kid looked to the left, then to the right, then turned around. Kurogane's eyes widened. It was the yellow haired boy in his vision! The boy didn't seem to see Kurogane way up in the tree from that distance. He just kept turning around like he was looking for something. Kurogane jumped from his loft in the tree and sprinted towards the boy. He was going to get some answers, otherwise he'll never be able to sleep peacefully.

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><p>Fai observed his surroundings.<p>

It seemed like he had the right place. The pond was familiar, the grass was just as green as three weeks ago so he must have had the right time frame. He wondered where Kurogane lived. He looked around the area hoping to see a town somewhere.

He turned around and saw a little village somewhere in the distance. He smiled. That must be where Kurogane lived. It'd be strange for him to walk around this foreign country clad in his Celes coat, but he didn't have much a choice if he wanted to see Kurogane. He was lucky Ashura had enchanted his staff with the ability to translate languages between dimensions. The last time he'd come, Ashura himself was the translator so he'd had no need for his staff. This time however…

He began walking toward the village, passing by some Cherry Blossoms. He smiled. He remembered these trees being here that last time he visited. He stopped. He heard footsteps approaching, fast. This person was running.

Fai was suddenly nervous. He had no idea how to explain himself if someone else from this world noticed him. He braced himself.

Kurogane appeared in his line of sight. He was running toward him, a determined look in his eyes. Fai's eyes widened.

'_D-Does he…remember?' _Fai thought hopefully. Kurogane stopped, leaving several feet distance between them. Fai just looked at him, expecting…

"Who are you?" he demanded. Fai released his held breath. He should have known. Ashura's power was too great. No one could break his enchantments. Fai smiled sadly.

"Who knows?" he replied. Kurogane's eyes widened.

"How do you know me?" he asked. Fai was caught off guard. That question completely conflicted with the previous. This one implied that Kurogane remembered him in some way…which was it?

"I…don't know what you mean." he replied. Kurogane's eyes narrowed.

"For 3 weeks now. I've seen your face." he said. Fai raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"H-Huh?"

"I don't know if they're dreams or visions but I see you all the time. I don't know why. But I want to know if I know you." he said, his voice shaking slightly. Fai smiled inwardly. He was probably embarrassed at having to try to be kind to someone he doesn't know. At their last meeting he'd made a big deal about familiarity. Fai smiled.

"My name is Fai. Fai D. Flourite. Nice to meet you…Kuro-chan." he added that last name with a sly tone. Kurogane blushed.

"For the last time it's Kurogane idiot!" the taller boy protested. Both paused, shocked by what he'd just said.

"For…the last time? When was there a previous time Kuro-rin?" Fai teased, hoping to jog Kurogane's memory. The boy obviously had something special about him if he was able to overcome one of Ashura-ou's spells. Kurogane closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"I…don't know." he said irritably. He was getting really annoyed with all this amnesia business. He looked at Fai closely, hoping to gain any more sense of familiarity. He noticed his thick coat.

"I-It's really cold where you live…" he mumbled "You live in the north…I-It's Spring here…because Nihon has 4 seasons." he rambled. Fai's eyes widened. He remembered this conversation with Kurogane and how he'd tried to ask him where he came from.

"Yes." Fai replied. Suddenly Kurogane felt a sharp pain in his head. He fell to his knees. Fai's smile turned downwards in worry.

"Kuro-tan!" he exclaimed. Kurogane stiffened and held his head for a moment. He then relaxed and began lightly rubbing a spot on his head.

"It's Kurogane…idiot." he replied. Fai looked down, reaching out a hand helplessly.

"Kuro-chi?" he asked. Kurogane grunted.

"This Ashura-ou…is pretty scary isn't he?" he said finally. Fai gasped.

"Y-you remember Kuro-kun?" he asked hopefully. Kurogane frowned.

"Just because I remember you doesn't mean you can call me stupid names any more." he complained. Fai smiled and hugged him. Kurogane stiffened.

"Y-YOU CAN'T HUG ME EITHER! I still don't know you well stupid!" he protested. Fai pouted.

"But, Kuro-rin, you said we were friends!" he countered. Kurogane blushed.

"I know."

Fai smiled and didn't let go. Kurogane didn't bother to push him away either. This was certainly something that Fai hadn't expected. He'd expected to come here, annoy his amnesiac friend and be on his merry way. He only expected to satisfy his curiosity. The feeling of overwhelming relief and happiness he had was something he was a complete stranger to. He had no idea that having a friend could make such a difference.

After Fai finally released Kurogane and the two caught up on what had transpired the last 3 weeks. Kurogane had asked for Fai to tell him who he really was and where he actually came from. Fai sighed. He knew there was no way around answering that now that he'd come back and Kurogane's memory was returned as well.

"My name is Fai D. Flourite." he said. Kurogane raised his eyebrow.

"Already know that." the tan boy replied. Fai had a far away look in his eyes.

"Right." he said as if he just remembered "…The place I live in is called Celes. It's a pretty cold place." he chuckled. Kurogane nodded, comprehending what he was hearing so far.

"Celes isn't a place you would know Kuro-rin, because Celes is in a different dimension. The reason why I can come here from Celes is because I'm a wizard. I have magic powers." he said. That's where Kurogane lost him.

"Y-You're a what?" he asked. Fai smiled.

"A wizard!" he said. Kurogane looked at him oddly for a minute before he sighed.

"Okay." he said. Fai paused, bewildered.

"You're not surprised?" he asked. Kurogane shook his head.

"I'm surprised. But my mom has magic powers too and so does the Princess Miko of Nihon. It's not really weird. But it is weird that there are more dimensions than just this one and the world of dreams." he said. Fai stifled a laugh.

"That sounds pretty funny to me Kuro-rin. Celes, Nihon and Dreams aren't the only dimensions. There are thousands!" Fai exclaimed, stretching his arms as wide as they would allow. Kurogane's eyes widened.

"Thousands!" he said in disbelief. Fai nodded.

"That's why I came here. Ashura-ou, my guardian, is giving me lessons in dimension traveling. The only problem is…I tend to transport him and I in different places." the blonde chuckled. Kurogane nodded slowly, still confused.

"So…that's what you meant when you said you were lost when we first met?" he asked. Fai nodded jubilantly. He couldn't believe he was talking to someone his age about magic! This must be what's it's like to have a friend. He didn't ponder the thought too much in his excitement though.

"Yeah! So I wasn't really lying when I said I fell from the sky."

"No, you said you CAME from the sky! No one lives in the sky! It's impossible." Kurogane argued. Fai smiled slyly.

"Are you sure Kuro-tan? I've been to some pretty weird places." he said nonchalantly. Kurogane faltered.

"T-There are really places where people live in the sky?" he asked seriously. Fai smiled.

"Of course not Kuro-chan! That'd be silly!" the mage teased. Kurogane blushed, irritated.

"Will you STOP BEING SUCH AN IDIOT!" he shouted. Fai laughed.

"Uh-oh! Kuro-tan's mad!" he chuckled, running away from him. Kurogane growled, giving chase to the blonde.

"IT'S KUROGANE!"

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><p><strong>Well...not much going on in this chapter. Honestly it feels like this should be longer, th ending's a bit abrupt. But if I were to make this chapter longer then I would end up making another chapter anyway. So I'll leave this as is and post the next chapter when I can!<strong>


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